George Henry Speltz

George Speltz was born in Altura, Minnesota, one of seven children of Henry and Josephine (née Jung) Speltz.[1] He attended Holy Trinity High School in Rollingstone, Minnesota, and then studied at St. Mary's College in Winona, Minnesota, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1932.[2] Speltz continued his studies at St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul.[3]

Speltz was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Francis Kelly on June 2, 1940.[4] He then served as assistant pastor of St. John's Parish and superintendent of Loretto High School in Caledonia, Minnesota, until 1941.[1] In 1944, he earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in economics from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.[2] His thesis was entitled: "Decentralization and the Social Obligations of the Land".[5]

Returning to Minnesota, Speltz served as vice-chancellor of the Diocese of Winona (1944–47) and superintendent of diocesan schools (1945–49).[3] In 1946, he was named pastor of St. Mary's Church in Minneiska and a professor at St. Mary's College in Winona.[1] He served as the first rector of Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Winona from 1948 to 1963.[3]

On February 12, 1963, Speltz was appointed auxiliary bishop of Winona and titular bishop of Claneus by Pope John XXIII.[4] He received his episcopal consecration on March 25, 1963, from Bishop Edward Fitzgerald, with Bishops Peter Bartholome and Frederick Freking serving as co-consecrators, at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.[4] In addition to his episcopal duties, he served as pastor of St. Mary's Parish in Winona from 1963 to 1966.[1] He also attended the last three sessions of the Second Vatican Council in Rome (1963–65).[6]

On April 6, 1966, Speltz was appointed coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of St. Cloud by Pope Paul VI.[4] His installation took place on the following June 7. He succeeded Bishop Peter Bartholome as the sixth Bishop of St. Cloud on January 31, 1968.[4] Speltz was president of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference from 1970 to 1972.[3] In 1984, he initiated a ban to deny church weddings to couples who live together before they marry, unless they agreed to live apart before their wedding; he said cohabitation:

"...calls into question fundamental moral values that have long been central to the Christian tradition: the sacred character of sex and of the Christian family."[7]

On January 13, 1987, Pope John Paul II accepted Speltz's resignation due to health reasons as bishop of the Diocese of Saint Cloud.[4]George Speltz died at St. Benedict Senior Community in St. Cloud on February 1, 2004, at age 91.[2] He is buried at Assumption Cemetery in St. Cloud.[8]